Movie Info:
Every race, every race season, has its own story. Sometimes the story has a happy ending with goals being met and new PRs being set. Other times you struggle or, worse, you crash and burn. Hard. From these extremes, however, come new knowledge about yourself. You learn what you have inside you and you learn your limits - for better or worse.
Eagleman 70.3 is a race that I have done many times in the past. On paper it looks so simple. You start with a swim in the Choptank River, hop on your bike for a almost completely flat loop around the eagle reserve, then finish it up with a half marathon on a completely flat track. Simple. Easy. Right?
Well .........
Here's the thing about Eagleman 70.3. On paper it looks like a dream. In reality, the conditions are often a huge factor. I've swam here in almost flat water and I've swam in water so choppy you couldn't see the person swimming in front of you, let alone the shoreline. The bike is flat, but there is usually a nice headwind from about mile 40 on in that will take some energy out of your legs and mess with your head. And then there's the run. One year I was here and it was mid-70s and overcast. The run course was spectacular. The other years? Hot and humid with the sun beating down on you. Did I forget to mention there is almost no shade on the run?
Clearly, race day in Cambridge, MD can be a challenge. Making it even more interesting and fun is the fact that every year a lot of great athletes (both armature and professional) show up to race. Every year I have competed here I would catch the end of the professional race during the first few miles of my run. Not only is it a cool experience to have a world champion like Marinda Carfrae or a Craig Alexander come flying past you on their way in, but it helps take your mind off the task for a few minutes.
For me, the 2014 edition of Eagleman 70.3 was going to be a different experience - a different story - than in years past. When I signed up for this race this past December the plan was to make this a good, hard workout three weeks before racing Ironman Couer d'Alene. Injury changed those plans. Seven weeks after surgery I was happy to be in Cambridge with the ability to swim and bike. With 6 total miles of running in the last 3 months, the smart thing to do was to plan on a DNF. For once in my life, I thought I'd play it smart.
Playing it smart, however, does not mean blow it off. On the contrary, just as every race has its story, every race has its lessons. So while my friends who were racing beside me were racing one of their "A" races for the season, I decided to use Eagleman as an opportunity to test out some things for my big race of the year - Ironman Florida.
So here's how things went:
Eagle Man
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